Customer review by gatorgirl182

5.0 stars11/5/2011by gatorgirl182

by
gatorgirl182

I bought this product in hopes of being able to view more television choices. We decided over a year ago to "do away" with any cable/satellite services, and have just been Netflix streaming watchers. I sometimes watch Hulu, but usually only on the computer. I researched this product, then decided to buy it. It was very easy to hook up (i used my wifi, but there is an ethernet outlet) and within a few minutes was able to watch and download channels. I use Netflix, Hulu Plus ($7.99/month membership, but still cheaper than the other choices) Crackle and lots of other channels as well. I'm able to keep up to date on most television shows by doing this. There is also a few channels for cooking, children, news (like Fox News, CNN, Nasa, etc.). My only regret... I should have bought this thing sooner!
(I will note that sometimes it does freeze up, and there is no "on/off" switch, but everytime it has happened, it has restarted itself!)

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gatorgirl182

Arkansas

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:25 - 34

Ownership:2 - 7 weeks

Gender:Female

Usage:Every day

Top 1000 contributor

Nice, but, needs some improvements

1/2/2012

Customer review by mrConsumer

3.0 stars1/2/2012by mrConsumer

by
mrConsumer

I think Roku has done a good job with this streaming video player. For a little black box, it offers a lot of features. It was easy to set up and it works well over WiFi connection. My biggest complaint is with the User Interface and has to do with channel navigation and selection. In a Channel Store there is no way to search channels. Basically, you have to scroll from channel to channel until you see a channel that you wish to add to your Roku player. Also, once you add a channel to your Roku player, there is no way to group them by a category or sort them in some kind of order and you have to scroll through your channels one at the time to get to the channel you want. This can get kind of tedious and time consuming if you have several dozen channels on your Roku box. The other thing that I don’t like about Roku is for whatever reason, they don’t have YouTube. If you got to have YouTube on your streaming video player then you may want to consider looking at AppleTV. Now, a few words about Roku channel selection. Roku offers a combination of Free and Subscription based channels. You got subscription channels such as: Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO GO and huluplus and you also have a number of free channels, such as: Cracle, WSJ and more. There are a lot of movie channels, however, Roku also provides other types of channels such as: news, business and sports. The bottom line is; Roku is a good and affordable video streaming player that will allow you to connect your TV to internet, but, the User Interface needs improvements to make navigating through channels and searching channels easier and faster.

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mrConsumer

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Greatest thing since sliced bread!

11/19/2011

Customer review by Tessesme

5.0 stars11/19/2011by Tessesme

by
Tessesme

I love my Roku because it takes the place of expensive cable TV. I can watch a lot of shows that I get from my streaming Netflix account for less than $10 a month and NO expensive cable bill. I decide what to watch, when to watch it, not a cable company. Now that things are so expensive and incomes are not as great as we need, Roku is a wonderful way to still enjoy TV without breaking the bank. You have your choice of old shows (Father Knows Best) and newer shows (Kyle XY) and movies from silent films to the latest ones available. It's a great value.

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Tessesme

Chico, CA

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:55 - 64

Ownership:9 - 10 months

Gender:Female

Usage:Once per week

11/27/2011

Customer review by lilorphan1024

5.0 stars11/27/2011by lilorphan1024

by
lilorphan1024

This little gadget is great. I was up and running in 10 minutes and now I get my Netflix on my flat screen tv. Also other movie channels such as Crackle. No problem setting up and using. Very user friendly item. I would recommend this product to anyone.

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lilorphan1024

Palm Coast, FL

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:55 - 64

Ownership:2 - 7 weeks

Gender:Female

Usage:Every day

Great device

10/14/2011

Customer review by jdawgrules

5.0 stars10/14/2011by jdawgrules

by
jdawgrules

I have one of the orginal roku players the SDx. It is a very nice player. Good picture quality. The new roku 2 offers subtittles options for netflix. The model i have doesn't support subtittles. I would recommend the player. I am very please with mine.

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jdawgrules

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Ownership:11 - 12 months

Usage:Every day

Much better

11/29/2011

Customer review by OregonCamper

5.0 stars11/29/2011by OregonCamper

by
OregonCamper

I bought one of the RCA streaming media devices at the Black Friday sale. I connected it to my TV with an HDMI cable and to my wireless network. It should say oozing video, not streaming. It took several minutes to download the software update. Then, when that was done, I thought that I would try to watch a program. It took several minutes to download an episode of "How it's made" and part way through, it went blank and said "rebuffering", which took several more minutes. I returned it and purchased the Roku 2 XD. I attached it to my TV with the same HDMI cable and to my wireless network. The Roku software update took less than a minute. Then I tried an episode of "How it's made" again. I was watching it in seconds. This what I expected from a streaming media device. It was definitely worth the extra money. The remote uses standard AAA batteries instead of the expensive button battery that the RCA uses. Spend the extra money for the Roku....you'll be happier with the results.

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OregonCamper

Central Oregon

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:55 - 64

Ownership:1 week or less

Gender:Male

Usage:Every few days

Beware - Does not work with D-link Wi-Fi Routers

1/19/2012

Customer review by Techie43026

1.0 stars1/19/2012by Techie43026

by
Techie43026

Don't let the good looks fool you. This device will not work if you have a D-link router of any type. They don't say it anywhere. It took me a whole weekend of fiddling with this thing and playing phone tag with their tech support for them to finally tell me that this is a known issue to them. They were supposed to send me a replacement that will work with D-Link and collected my contact information but nobody ever called back. Horrible customer service. I ended up returning it to Wal-Mart for a full refund. I went back to Google and saw that they have many websites dedicated to complaints against Roku. Apparently, they are known for poor customer service. I should have checked before I bought.
I ended up buying a NeoTV device instead and I am very satisfied with it. No issues at all with my router. I was up and running in a few minutes. Also, the NeoTV has an ethernet connector as opposed to Roku which only has wireless. The signal is much stronger through the ethernet cord and I am able to view Netflix movies in full HD which is hard to do through wireless.

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Techie43026

Would recommend to a friend?
No

Age:35 - 44

Ownership:1 week or less

Gender:Male

Usage:Never

LOVE IT !!! (ROKU 2)

12/1/2011

Customer review by LReeseB

4.0 stars12/1/2011by LReeseB

by
LReeseB

The setup took about 5 minutes using our home wireless network. Starts playing the video within a few seconds after buffering. Exellent picture quality. We're considering dropping cable as it keeps getting more and more expensive. It's recommended your internet connection be at least 10mb for High Definition. We got Netflix after getting the Roku and have really enjoyed it. "WE" choose what and when to watch. There are free movies and TV episodes via Crackle and other channels. Weather channels and News channels. Get an antenna for local channels and you should be good to go. I am getting a second one for my son so he can watch multiple episodes of his favorite shows and we don't have to buy DVD's or rent them. They're all on Netflix. WE LOVE IT!!!

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LReeseB

South Carolina

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:55 - 64

Ownership:2 - 3 months

Gender:Male

Usage:Every day

Unlimited TV, No Need for Cable or Satellite

1/2/2012

Customer review by Gemsroadwarrior

5.0 stars1/2/2012by Gemsroadwarrior

by
Gemsroadwarrior

The ROKU has more than exceeded my expectations. With more than enough program options and a few subscriptions to things like Netflix, Hulu +, Amazon Prime and GBTV, I can get more TV to watch than I will ever have time to take advantage of. Add PlayOn.TV to this unit and you can more than triple that. We haven't turned on the digtial tv tuner or cable box since we got the ROKU four weeks ago. I also have not found the need for the extra memory for more channels, so the ROKU LT might be an even better option. (Note: the ROKU LT is around $50 online, but most of the stores that I have gone to are selling it for $60). There is no charge for the ROKU other than your internet connection. The costs for my premium channels (Netflix, HULU, GBTV) are only $21 a month.

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Gemsroadwarrior

North Carolina

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:45 - 54

Ownership:2 - 7 weeks

Gender:Male

Usage:Every day

Top 1000 contributor

Plays my Amazon Prime Movies Free

12/3/2011

Customer review by Dreamyvelvet

5.0 stars12/3/2011by Dreamyvelvet

by
Dreamyvelvet

I picked this up because I wanted to stream the free movies I get from Amazon for being a Prime member. Super easy to install. You will need to use your computer to go back and forth between roku.com and Amazon.com to register and input codes..then that's it. Watch your free Amazon movies/tv shows on your big 55" HDTV. No more paying $5.99 to Directv to watch new movies out, Amazon only charges $3.99.

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Dreamyvelvet

SoCal

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:45 - 54

Ownership:2 - 7 weeks

Gender:Female

Usage:Every day

WOW, Love this little box

12/3/2011

Customer review by LIVININTHESUN

5.0 stars12/3/2011by LIVININTHESUN

by
LIVININTHESUN

Perfect picture. Works great for NetFlix, Crackle , Hulu Watch out cable company!

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LIVININTHESUN

Phoenix

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:55 - 64

Ownership:2 - 7 weeks

Gender:Male

Usage:Every day

ROKU XD, Great Value!!!

4/20/2012

Customer review by JParri

5.0 stars4/20/2012by JParri

by
JParri

This is the second ROKU I have purchased for our home. It is a great value for everything you get! This one is a lot smaller than the old version, which saves on room when placing it on the TV stand. We have excellent internet here at home, which you must have if the ROKU will work properly. Many of my friends have bought them after we got our first one. Some of my friends have had to return theirs because they had dial up service or their internet wasn't strong enough.
We have DSL internet service here and I had already bought a wireless router (must have, it works on wireless). It's a "plug and play" set-up with very little skills required. If you want to use Hulu Plus and Netflix on the ROKU, you must sign up for them. We already had a netflix and hulu plus account, so it was very easy to set up. There are easy to follow directions that pop up on the screen that tell you exactly what to do.
There are tons of free internet channels that you can add, via the Channel Store that is in your ROKU menu. We have expanded our TV channel options so much that we are considering cutting our cable out altogether.

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JParri

Cherokee, NC

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:45 - 54

Ownership:Longer than one year

Gender:Female

Usage:Every day

Say Goodbye to Cable!

7/5/2012

Customer review by SRLS

5.0 stars7/5/2012by SRLS

by
SRLS

I read the reviews on the Roku product and decided to give it a try despite a few of the negative comments in other reviews. I am extremely glad I purchased this little wonder! It was extremely easy to set-up and program and I have since disconnected my cable.
I was so pleased with this that I purchased another Roku on the next in-store shopping trip I took to Walmart. The Roku was on sale at the time and having been so pleased with the previous one, I grabbed it up. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I'd purchased the basic Roku as opposed to the XD I purchased previously. There is a SIGNIFICANT difference between the two. Although the basic Roku was just as easy to set-up, there is a constant freezing up and slowness with the basic one. I have experienced none of that with the XD.
Although the XD is slightly higher in price, it more than makes up for it in quality compared to the basic Roku. If you're thinking about going with a Roku, I would highly recommend it (just go with the XD)!

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SRLS

Denver, CO

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:35 - 44

Ownership:2 - 7 weeks

Gender:Female

Usage:Every day

Read forums!

12/5/2011

Customer review by Pinkdiamondgirl

2.0 stars12/5/2011by Pinkdiamondgirl

by
Pinkdiamondgirl

I read negative reviews, as well as the good ones on this before I bought it. There are many issues with getting this set up...I wish it could have been as easy as 1,2,3, but in the end, after more than a day and 1/2 and tech support, I couldn't get it to recognize my network. When I first plugged it in and turned it on, it connected and downloaded an update, after that...it would not recognize it. Went through the whole ordeal of resetting router, resetting the device, round and round...etc. , called tech support, they just read from a script, didn't help.. it just wouldn't do it. There are several suggestions in the Roku forums about "getting around the bugs" but I want something that is easy and I don't have to reconfigure my whole network to get it to work...this isn't it for me. In the end, all I got was a headache.

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Pinkdiamondgirl

Would recommend to a friend?
No

Age:45 - 54

Ownership:1 week or less

Gender:Female

Usage:Never

Excellent

5/20/2012

Customer review by JulieHR

5.0 stars5/20/2012by JulieHR

by
JulieHR

Very easy to install, very small, takes up little space. Very easy to work. Works on my old TV and my plasma.

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JulieHR

New York

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:45 - 54

Ownership:2 - 3 months

Gender:Female

Usage:Every few days

great alternative to cable

6/12/2012

Customer review by Peachee

4.0 stars6/12/2012by Peachee

by
Peachee

This is a great little item. My cable bill was outrageous and now I only need to subscribe to whatever station I want ( netflix, hulu, and select others. Even with this small monthly fees I am way ahead financially.
Downfalls are, no real live local news and when I subscribed for one if my stations, my e-mail was hacked and subsequently locked. That really bothered me as I would assume that info would be secure. Also, it seems that a lot if the free stations have the same content. actually cutting down in real choices for free.
If you want to save money, its great, just watch your accounts after enrollments to individual stations.

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Peachee

Euclid, Ohio

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:45 - 54

Ownership:2 - 7 weeks

Gender:Female

Roku is the Best Media Player on the market!

12/11/2011

Customer review by kgil1978

5.0 stars12/11/2011by kgil1978

by
kgil1978

I have two of these now and I am completely satisfied with both. I have one that is hooked up via video cables and one that is hooked up via hdmi. They work great on both televisions and I plan to get a third one soon. Love Roku 2! I did try one of the RCA media player and that was a big let down so steer clear of that one. If you want to stream for a fraction of what it costs to hook of cable or satellite this is the way to go! Roku is the best.

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kgil1978

SC

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:25 - 34

Ownership:7 - 8 months

Gender:Female

Usage:Every day

Big Disappointment

1/8/2012

Customer review by MomOfVTKids

1.0 stars1/8/2012by MomOfVTKids

by
MomOfVTKids

I was very excited to receive this Roku 2 XD as a Christmas gift and couldn't wait to set it up! During the setup process you connect the Roku to your wireless network, the Roku installs updates, and is supposed to automatically reconnect after the box reboots. I was exteremly disappointed to find that the Roku wouldn't reconnect to my wireless signal after the reboot, even after manually entering the network the box a second time. After many hours spent resetting and walking through troubleshooting steps I went to the forum section of Roku's site. There were A LOT of similiar experiences this the Roku 2 XD. I may try another model, but I have to say this experience left a bad taste in my mouth. On my way to return it now.... :(

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MomOfVTKids

Vermont

Would recommend to a friend?
No

Age:25 - 34

Ownership:1 week or less

Gender:Female

A Father's Day Gift

6/29/2012

Customer review by breid1966

5.0 stars6/29/2012by breid1966

by
breid1966

I have wanted this for sometime but couldn't talk my wife into it. I decided to buy it for ME for Father's Day. The set up was about 10 minutes or less. I knew there were plenty of different things to watch but I was blown away! I love the fact that everything is HD. If I could get local TV stations, cable would be gone! And by the way, my wife loves it, too!

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breid1966

North Alabama

Would recommend to a friend?
Yes

Age:35 - 44

Ownership:2 - 7 weeks

Gender:Male

Usage:Every day

Perfect

1/11/2012

Customer review by ABoysMom

5.0 stars1/11/2012by ABoysMom

by
ABoysMom

We do not have cable and have been enjoying our netflix subscription. I am amazed at how many subscription based viewers there are and we are looking at adding either Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime. The only negative I would caution you about - to really use this player you will have to pay for a subscriptions to streaming video providers to get any use out of the player.